| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Among the digestive enzymes, phospholipase A<sub>2 </sub>(PLA<sub>2</sub>) hydrolyzes the essential dietary phospholipids in marine fish and shellfish. However, we know little about the organs that produce PLA<sub>2</sub>, and the ontogeny of the PLA<sub>2</sub>-cells. Accordingly, accurate localization of PLA<sub>2 </sub>in marine snails might afford a better understanding permitting the control of the quality and composition of diets and the mode of digestion of lipid food.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have previously producted an antiserum reacting specifically with mSDPLA<sub>2</sub>. It labeled zymogen granules of the hepatopancreatic acinar cells and the secretory materials of certain epithelial cells in the depths of epithelial crypts in the hepatopancreas of snail. To confirm this localization a laser capture microdissection was performed targeting stained cells of hepatopancreas tissue sections. A Western blot analysis revealed a strong signal at the expected size (30 kDa), probably corresponding to the PLA<sub>2</sub>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present results support the presence of two hepatopancreatic intracellular and extracellular PLA<sub>2 </sub>in the prosobranchs gastropods molluscs, <it>Littorina littorea </it>and <it>Buccinum undatum </it>and bring insights on their localizations.</p>
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